Occurrence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and strains of the Mycobacterium avium-M. intracellulare complex together in the sputum of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.
Out of 97 strains of M. tuberculosis isolated from the sputum of the same number of patients, 11 were shown to consist of a mixed population of M. tuberculosis and a strain of the M. avium-M. intracellulare (MAI) complex. The most effective method for isolating strains of the MAI complex was to incubate the culture first at 42 degrees C for 3 weeks and then at 45 degrees C for 3 weeks. By this method, the growth of M. tuberculosis was suppressed, while the contaminant mycobacteria formed colonies.
D006801:Humans; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000382:microbiology*